I'm reading a book called "Clean" by Dr. Alex Junger. It sounds amazing but there will probably be problems as far as me using it during radiation therapy. One main problem I know my Rad Dr. will tell me is that the program helps get rid of free radicals which he says are actually helpful during radiation. I just thought this might be good timing as I start rads this Monday. Because this is a three week mostly liquid diet I thought it might coincide with the lsat three weeks of rads when I will probably have a hard time swallowing soild foods anyway. The book talks a lot about the toxins in our envirnment and foods and about our intestinal flora. It says that 80-90% of our seritonin is produced in our gut and I'd love to tap into that. Thoughts?

Going on a liquid "cleansing diet" at a point in time when everyone has difficulty maintaining proper nutrition, caloric intake of any consequence which compromises healing, and keeping up hydration, seems nothing less than counterintuitive to me. This is a point in time when you want to be calorie loading. As to doing it in the last three weeks of treatment, you are likely going to be on a specific liquid and semi solid diet dictated by a nutritionist, not on a cleansing diet. The idea sounds like something that will actually slow your healing processes, at a time when you need them the most.

Anything that you are thinking about doing today is likely going to be not on your mind after about three weeks of radiation when most people hit the wall. Nevertheless, anything that you decide you want to try you should get signed off on by your treating physicians before committing yourself to.

The last thing on my son's mind while he was going thru treatment were free radicals and toxins!

Will

My "thoughts" on Junger cleansing diet are that I agree with the majority of doctors and scientists that just about everything that falls under the umbrella term of "cleansing" is pseudo science or scam, unless you consider increasing your fruit, vegetable and fiber intake from whole foods as "cleansing." Peter Pressman, MD, an internal medicine specialist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles said it best:
[quote]the science behind the detox theory is deeply flawed ... The body already has multiple systems in place � including the liver, kidneys, and gastrointestinal tract � that do a perfectly good job of eliminating toxins from the body within hours of consumption... Detox dieters often report a variety of benefits, but most of these improvements may be due to changes in the diet unrelated to any change in �toxin levels"[/quote].
You are entitled to your opinion, but my opinion is that this detox book and diet are heartless scams that prey upon the fears of newly diagnosed patients like yourself. Most OCF members are so supportive that they tiptoe around the facts on these alternative diets, detox, supplements, etc rather than spell it out. The reason Junger's book sounds so "amazing" is that it is fiction not reality.
Bottom line however is that even the gullible sites that promote this diet do not advise it for cancer patients.
However if by "cleansing," someone is referring to simply "cleaning up your diet" by eating more fruits and veggies, of course I'm all for that, or if you mean "cleansing" by increasing your fiber intake, I'm all for that too.
Charm

I'm with Brian. Here is an excerpt from the Lance Armstrong Foundation's review of the book, the article can be read here http://www.livestrong.com/article/316679-clean-liquid-diet/

"Considerations
Detox diets can result in negative side effects, including a temporary worsening of symptoms. Consult a medical professional before making any major changes to your diet or lifestyle, especially if you are currently taking any medications. Some supplements can interact with certain medications. Junger does not recommend the Clean program if you are pregnant or breastfeeding or in the advanced stages of a serious illness."

I "think" cancer is a serious illness and going through radiation may constitute "advance stage". And since it looks like you'll be going through chemo, definitely talk to your MO before you start ANY supplements.

http://www.webmd.com/diet/liquid-diets

Here is also a link to WebMD's take on liquid diets...pay attention to the comment about the "cleansing" diets.

Now from what I've read, Gwyneth Paltrow uses or has used this diet and also has experience with Oral Cancer (Paltrow Foundation) but I'm not sure she'd recommend it for someone going through rads. Radiation was hard for most of us that had to do it, trust me when I say the only thing I was thinking about was making sure my body had enough fuel (calories) to help deal with the experience and recover from it.


Anyway, those are my thoughts. Ask your MO before making any decision though.

Eric

Oh...and I TOTALLY agree with Charm

Thanks folks. I think the reason I enjoyed this book so much is because I agree with Dr. Junger in that we have poisoned our planet to the point where it is making us sick. As far as my diet I have put on 15 Lbs. in the last 5 weeks in anticipation of radiation and chemo. I've just been trying to do it with organic foods instead of Burger King. I'm also using "green" cleaning products and drinking filtered water. I just wish I had been doing it for a long time. Not that it would have prevented me from getting HPV16 positive tonsil cancer. I'm prety sure I know how I picked that up.

Will

I heartily agree the industrial food combines & energy consortiums & fertilizer/pesticide monoliths among others continue to poison and pollute our planet to the detriment of our health.That fact however does not validate the erroneous detox theories.
Heck I've been a believer since Silent Spring by Rachel Carson came out in 1962. I was in high school and badgered our little library to order it. Things have gotten worse - I saw a Fox news story saying DDT was unfairly banned by EPA and it's just fine and does not cause cancer. Amazing how junk science like that and Dr. Junger get so much publicity.

Good for you on bulking up and improving your diet since that is what makes the difference not any of the cleansing diet regimes. IMO try one that is high in fiber, low in fat (especially animal fat), and includes generous portions of fruits and vegetables. What we eat and how we treat our bodies on a daily basis have a very powerful effect on our health and quality of life.
Best wishes
Charm

The colon cleanses itself naturally and colon cleanses are quackery.

See: http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/gastro.html